Travis Konecny was in Ottawa when the Canadian soldier was killed

Travis Konecny will never forget the feeling of being an Ottawaian Wednesday while a gunman was on the loose.

“I was at school and we were told to get home and stay inside,” said the 67’s captain a day later, from the team bus, on his way back home to face the London Knights Friday at Budweiser Gardens. “It was really kind of weird with helicopters flying around. It was unfortunate what happened and no one knew what to expect next.

“We all just stayed inside. Practice was cancelled and we weren’t allowed close to downtown.”

The Knights and 67’s, like the rest of the OHL, will observe a pre-game moment of silence for two Canadians soldiers killed this week in separate incidents linked to terrorism.

“It’s going to mean something, that moment of silence,” Konecny, the OHL’s reigning rookie of the year, said. “I think it’s cool how, even in the NHL, they’re coming together with teams and buildings performing O Canada even when two American teams are playing.

“It doesn’t matter where the game is.”

The 67’s held a morning skate Thursday before boarding the bus for their road trip. Of course, the teens’ topic of conversation was the same as what had riveted the world the day before.

“We had a little talk about it at practice,” Konecny said, “and with what happened, everyone paid attention to it and showed respect for it – but we just moved past it.”

Konecny only comes home once a season – and he’s likely to be a game-time decision to play. He is recovering from the blindside hit from Plymouth defender Gianluca Curcuruto last week that has cost the Whaler a 12-game suspension.

“I’m hoping and it’s day-by-day right now,” Konecny said. “I did the little skate in Ottawa and felt good. Moving to London, we have a morning practice (Friday) and we’ll go from there and see how I feel.

“It’s exciting to get the chance to play at home with my family and friends there, and what’s important is they enjoy it, and hopefully, we can have some good games this weekend for them to watch.”

The 67’s are 4-0 at TD Place arena this season, but 0-5 away from it with a terrible minus-22 goal differential.

“We’re pulling together well, going to the rink and buying in,” the 17-year-old said. “We just have to find a way to get a few wins on the road right now.”

The 67’s delivered a win for legendary coach Brian Kilrea in the 80-year-old’s one-game return to the bench last week at home.

“For us to experience him back there was good for us, he’s a fountain of knowledge,” Konecny said. “He kept us confident. He had some comments but, from what I heard, he was more laid-back than he used to be.”

The 67’s and Knights are both trying to spruce up their work in the defensive zone. London, in particular, wants to see progress in moving the puck out this weekend.

“You spend too much time in your own end – you do the analytics on it – it’s not a good thing,” Knights head coach Dale Hunter said. “We’re working on breakouts, looking for good passes and making good reads, too. The kids are getting better. It takes time. In minor or major midget, they were always the bigger guy and now, they’re not, so you have to use your (head) out there.

“You have two good games, two more good periods in Erie (Saturday) and then a couple of mistakes in the third, and it’s in the net.”

Connor McDavid can do that to a team. So, for that matter, can Konecny.

The Knights have to smooth out at least one troubling stat. They’ve already had eight different shooters score twice in a game against them.

“The matchups aren’t always there, especially on the road, but the guys will get more comfortable as they play against elite players,” overage defender Dakota Mermis said. “It’s the coach’s job to figure out the matchups they want and it’s nothing new to Dale. When you’re having trouble scoring, you have to lock down your zone, and I think we’ve done a pretty good job lately.

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